13-05-08 Alexavier, Aidan
Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 7:31:17 PM) (1609832) Traveling with the prince has been interesting, to say the least. While it was clear to me that my parents sent me with him so I could be protected, he really has seemed at a loss for how to travel "common" at times. I'm not sure how much of that has been true inexperience and how much has been an attempt to make me feel useful, but it's helped to do things like show him how to make a camp that's unlikely to be disturbed so we could save our coin for the boats at Cliath. If he's recognized, I'd pointed out, we might have to pay a certain service charge on top of our passage. We've made it to the city, but I'll feel better once we're safely on a boat. My companion is a wanted man, and my aunt is dead by the hands of the people who want him. And, those people are making their presence known around the docks. "This is going to be a problem," I tell the prince, voice quiet. While he might be in more danger than I am, he's also likely not expected to be traveling with a young woman other than my cousin, so we've stayed together as we wind our way through the city, heads down and his rather conspicuous head covered. "I'd expected us to have trouble gaining passage if you were recognized, but I'd not expect us to have trouble keeping our heads." Oh, sure. "Cu" Brendan might be too civilized for a beheading. Maybe, he prefers hanging or drowning, or burning. A lot of ways we could die, if we don't get out of here. Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 7:44:20 PM) (1609840) I was raised by wolves. Literally. That the ratkin thought I couldn't survive on my own was a little insulting, but it seemed to be the best way to get Alexavier to accompany me, so I've played it up somewhat. Pampering and spoiling don't really happen that much in the Wolf King's court. Being alone and being a wanted man are entirely new experiences, but the camping hasn't been. There's too much heat this time of year in Aitbheth to be wearing a cloak, but I have one anyway, the hood pulled up. If it weren't currently raining in Cliath, I'd look unfortunately conspicuous. At least for the moment, I can partially hide my head. I'm also hanging back a bit, staying near barrels full of beer that are being prepared for shipping. "Those are my step-father's men," I point out quietly, nodding toward one of those visible chest crests with entwined serpents on it. We were never close, but he's always been loyal to Donovan. Why he'd be supporting this baffles me. Unless Brendan is lying to absolutely everyone? Maybe my mother thinks he's innocent. "I don't think taking a ship is the best idea now." Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 8:07:15 PM) (1609861) I shake my head, because I don't think we could get to a ship without being caught. Well, I could, but that wouldn't be entirely useful. I'd find my cousin, if I was lucky, then...what? No, we need to stay together, and that's probably not going to involve sea travel. "Your step-father's men look an awful lot like your brother's men to me," I point out. The story has spread, as we've figured out, and so have those loyal to the new king. It's a problem, and not one I'm entirely sure how to handle. "We could follow the shore a while, see if we have better luck at a smaller port," I suggest. "Or, we could just walk and hope for the best." I might normally suggest slipping in among some other travelers, but considering the crimes my companion's had attached to his name, I don't think that would be safe for anyone. Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 8:19:34 PM) (1609866) "There can't be that many of them. They couldn't be watching every port between here and the border, could they?" I ask rhetorically, but another look at my step-father's men makes me sigh. They could, because it's not just Brendan. People are accepting him as the legitimate king and they're supporting him. My own family would see me killed now. How many of them are part of the plot, I couldn't say. It doesn't really matter, either. Whether they're part of the plot or just fooled into supporting it, they're my enemies now. "It could be a very long walk." Especially if we can't find aid from any of the lords we'll pass along the way. If they all support Brendan, then they'll all be eager to take me prisoner. I glance at Alexavier, frowning. "If we can make it to the border, we can catch a ship from there. I doubt Eretath is watching for us." Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 8:39:59 PM) (1609883) "Well, they couldn't, but we really have no idea who might turn us over," I answer, even if he wasn't expecting it. Even the places his family's men haven't taken up watch have likely heard about the change in power, and the more the story's told the more it holds the flavor of truth. If you don't know it's fiction, you aren't really lying. When he suggests it could be a long walk, I shrug mildly. I've taken long walks before, though I wasn't taking them with anyone who was being hunted by his own family. That just boggles my mind that his own brother would do such a thing to him. Then again, I have my own older brothers, and I tend to expect every family to behave like mine. Silly, I know. "Not likely," I agree, when he says that Eretath probably isn't looking for us. "I know, if I were the king of a country bordering one suffering this sort of upheaval, I'd keep my nose firmly out of it as long as I could. For all they know, someone else is going to kill Brendan within the week." So, I suppose we're walking. Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 8:49:29 PM) (1609894) "You'd be a wise king, then." Here's hoping the king of Eretath is similarly wise. I look toward the ships one more time, longingly, then turn to start walking. Staying on the main roads could be dangerous if people are looking for us like this. Being raised alongside the king's own children, I've been seen by a lot of people. There's no telling who might recognize me. We can hope I wouldn't be recognized in Eretath, but it's still possible. Yet what else can we do? I tug the hood of my cloak a bit lower, the sound of rain reverberating inside the cloth cavern around my head. I'd known my brother was ambitious. I'd heard the rumors he and my mother began. I just never thought my loyalty to Uncle Donovan would lead to my own blood wanting me dead. "So what sorts of things can you do? With magic, I mean." Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 9:13:59 PM) (1609924) "Coming from someone as close as you are to having a crown on his head, I'll take that as a compliment," I laugh. I think it's a game that even adults play, pretending to rule at least your own little part of the world, imagining what you'd do if you could exert your will onto others. "I don't think I'd want to be king, though," I add with a shiver. "It would be...very hard to trust anyone." I can see why so many stories involve rulers going mad. As the rain starts to come down with a bit more force, I tug my shawl tighter around me. It isn't as substantial as the cloak covering Aidan, but mine isn't a face anyone would look at twice. For me to be seen actually helps him to stay invisible. It isn't magic, but it could almost pass. And, magic is what he asks about. "I can talk to rats," I tell him. "And, not just the ones that sometimes walk on two legs." I'm practicing, and hope to be able to speak to other animals, eventually. "And, I can tell if there's magic in something." Either might be useful, though neither has been something that's come up so far. Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 9:20:22 PM) (1609933) "No, me neither." I looked forward to serving Patrick when he took the throne after his father. I never for a moment wanted the throne for myself. It would mean the deaths of too many people I loved. And now almost all of those necessary deaths have happened. If something happened to Syeira, I'd be the one left to challenge Brendan. I guess I'd have to, because there'd be no one else, but it's not a burden I'd ever want. There are our cousins in Jallen, though. I guess they could make a claim, too. The rain is warm, at least. It's to the point of being swampy inside of this cloak, and part of would prefer just being soaked, but I can't uncover my head while in Cliath. Once we're out in the countryside again, it should be safe enough. "That sounds incredibly useful. Rats are everywhere," I point out. Good little spies to let us know things we can't see, and then she can determine whether or not something's been enchanted or someone's casting a spell. Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 9:31:45 PM) (1609936) "Oh, they are," I agree, brightening. "And, they're chatty little devils, once they know you can hear them." Most of the time, the Daoine just don't listen to their little squeaks and chitters. I suppose that's for the best, since they don't typically understand it. "But, even understanding their language, there are times when they don't make the best of sense." They don't see things the same way people do, don't have our concepts. I take Aidan by the arm, tugging him to walk with me. Once we're safely out of the city, he can probably push back the hood of his cloak a little bit. The rain isn't really a cold one, though being soaked in it's comfortable. Hopefully, he'll be able to cool off some before the sun comes out. "I hope this weather clears in time for the ground to dry a bit before we make camp," I comment. While I'm not so prim as to mind being dirty, I don't really want to sleep in the squishy mud. Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 9:41:28 PM) (1609942) "Our druid at the castle could heal wounds and detect lies like your mother. She could reverse magic, too." Except whatever it was that took my cousins--which she swore was magic--couldn't be reversed. I don't know what that means exactly. Maybe there are limits on the druids that I don't understand. Or maybe some magic is more powerful than others. I nod when Alexavier talks about hoping the ground dries before we make camp. I'd wanted to sleep on a ship tonight. Hard wooden deck under my back wouldn't bother me much in comparison to the ground I slept on last night. And I'll be sleeping on it again tonight, too. "Have you met the lord Syeira's promised to?" All of those negotiations were done by others, so I never met the man. Syeira seemed satisfied with the arrangement, though. She said she liked him. Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 9:57:33 PM) (1609964) "Eventually, I'll be able to do more," I point out. Mam says I'm more focused than a girl my age ought to be on my studies, but I know she understands why. I know she understands why I never stuck to the paths in the feast forest, and why I loved to climb as high in a tree as I could before the branches started to groan from my weight. I don't like being the useless Daoine that gets sent away for her own protection. I want to be able to help people. "If I have, nobody's told me that's who he is," I shrug. I don't think I've met this lord. I do think that someone would have told me who he was, if I had. "I suppose that's another good reason to shy away from crowns that want to be sat on your head. If anyone's asked to marry me, I haven't heard about it." So, as far as I know, there have been no promises made. "All I know is that I'll have to marry a Strainseiri to keep my blood tied to them." And, of course, there are a lot of Strainseiri to choose from. Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 10:15:57 PM) (1609984) "Do the druids normally marry a member of the same tribe as their fathers?" I ask curiously. The castle druid was the daughter of some Faolin cousin. Then there was another druid, who served the falconkin. Most castles just have one. They're useful to keep around, obviously, but they serve the Strainseiri, not the Daoine lords. And if all the Strainseiri from the castle have fled or been killed, I doubt our druid has survived. I glance up at the dark, rainy sky, frowning. We're coming to the edges of Cliath now. Buildings are becoming sparser. The rain hasn't let up in all this time and now I think the sun is going down. We might be sleeping in the rain soon and without a fire. "If we can get Syeira on the throne, maybe you'll be the new castle druid." She's young, but her father is the brother of Syeira's mother. It's just the sort of tie Uncle Donovan had to his druid. "I'm not promised to anyone, but if none of this had happened, I imagine I would have been eventually." Arranged marriages are common in Aitbheth, and accepted, especially among nobility. Of course, those arrangements don't always last, but they're useful while they do. Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 10:34:02 PM) (1610001) "It depends on how many of us there are," I shrug. "Likely, I would, as I'm older and have been training longer than most of the other apprentices in our tribe. It assures us there'll be at least one druid among us at any given time." Sometimes, I've heard that girls will run away rather than face the responsibility, or they run off with some Daoine boy. When he mentions I could be the new castle druid, I have to think about that. I would do it, of course, if my cousin asked. But, that would put me in the middle of all that messy and dangerous intrigue I've been thinking about since Aidan made his way into the forest. "It would give her someone she could trust," I finally answer. "And, since it all did happen, I suppose you'll be able to marry for your own benefit, or that of the Cu, if we manage to get Syeira on the throne," I venture. I'm not sure how all that works in situations like the one in which he's found himself. Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 10:39:32 PM) (1610002) "It would." I glance at the sky again, frowning. It's just not letting up, frustratingly. Aitbheth is notorious for its rainfall, so I shouldn't really be surprised, I guess, but it's just a new annoyance on top of world-shattering horrors over the past several days. We're beyond Cliath now, so there's that, at least, but with darkness encroaching, our options are rapidly dwindling. I glance around, trying to think of the least uncomfortable way we could sleep tonight. "If we move into the forest there, some of the rain will be blocked by the trees. Do you have any better ideas for the night?" Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 10:57:03 PM) (1610018) I glance toward the trees, then back at the prince. "You learn fast," I tell him with just a hint of sarcasm. I've had a feeling he's been letting me make decisions and explain how I do things for the sake of my ego. "Am I going to have to take possession of your sword again to keep you from leaving me?" I add, teasing. I wish we had some fabric, something to cover ourselves or the ground with. As it is, we have no hope of a fire in this weather, and the rain is certainly not going to be as warm in an hour or two. Had I thought of it before we left the city, I would have used a little bit of the coin we have to try and get some. Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 11:04:29 PM) (1610031) "I'd rather you didn't, unless you think you're better with it than I am." Which I doubt she is. She's been trained to be a druid, not a warrior. She might be able to defend herself to some degree, but where she's been learning magic since childhood, I've been learning swordplay. It's kept me alive this long and I'd like to see it continue doing that. Once we're under the canopy of the forest, I keep crouching down to lay a hand on the tree litter, feeling for the dryest spot I can find. Eventually, there's one under a big old spreading oak. I take off the cloak and set the traveling pack I'd been carrying against the trunk of the tree to serve as a sort of pillow. I'll leave my sword and boots on, though, in case we need to move quickly. After settling there, I hold up the cloak. "I think we can both fit under this." It's not ideal, but we're on somewhat dry ground and can have cloth over our heads. Alexavier Wheeler (Maggie C.) (5/8/2013 11:22:04 PM) (1610049) "You never know. I could secretly be an expert," I point out. I'm not. I barely remember a time when I wasn't training to be a druid, and druids are to be protected so that we can protect the tribe. We just don't protect the tribe with swords. As we move under the trees, I'm also feeling for the dryest places, and I'm relieved when he finds the place against the oak. We both settle in, packs for "pillows," and shoes on our feet. Even if nothing and no one fins us tonight, we should be ready to leave quickly in the morning. "Will you teach me how to use a sword?" I ask him, settling in with him under his cloak. I know it sounds like a strange request. I should be practicing healing arts, not violent ones. But, this is a dangerous time--dangerous enough that my mother wanted this man to watch over me more than she wanted to continue my training. As much as I'll deny it if anyone suggests as much, I'm afraid. "If we have time, I mean." Aidan Faolin (Parthenogenic) (5/8/2013 11:24:56 PM) (1610051) "I'll teach you what I can." Of course, we only have one sword, but we'll see how that might change as time goes on. Never know what twist in our tale might come up. I can show her with a stick for now, though. Once she accepts the other half of the cloak, I scrunch down so I can comfortably get my head under it to block out the rain, then settle against my pack for a pillow and close my eyes. It's an uncomfortable way to sleep, but it could have been worse. Category:Logs Category:Aidan Faolin Category:Alexavier Wheeler